Euroka to Red Hands Cave

1 hr 45 mins

4.3 km One way

269 m

Experienced only

The walk to Red Hands Caves is quite a heritage walk, with both Indigenous art and grinding grooves to see. The walk leaves Euroka camping area and heads down through the valleys, passing the heritage areas. The walk finishes at Red Hands Cave picnic area, a perfect spot for lunch. As an alternative, you could retrace your footsteps back to Euroka Camping area to make this a return walk.* This walk passes through very remote areas and sections have no visible track. At least one person in your group should have training and experience in off track walking and navigation. Even with these notes and a GPS these extra skills and equipment are required.

Euroka Campground – Nioka

The Nioka campground offers 20 sites to choose from. There is tap water at the park entrance.

(0km) Nioka Campsite → The Ironbark Picnic Area

1.3 km

25 mins

94m

-4m

Moderate track

From the intersection below Nioka, this walk heads up the hill and around the locked gate. The track then passes the toilet and the ‘no exit’ sign. The walk then continues to follow this clear track as it heads uphill, away from the campsites. The management trail takes a few sharp bends and before long, the hill flattens out a little. As the track meanders up the hill, it widens into a clearer management trail. Just before the Oaks Fire Trail, this walk steps over the locked gate into the Ironbark Picnic Area.

Ironbark Picnic Area

Ironbark Picnic Area is a basic picnic area on the Oaks Fire Trail, about 450m south of Euroka Rd. The picnic area has a low bench that acts as both a table and seat, and there is also a wood-fired barbecue provided. The picnic area is at the top of a gated management trail, which leads down to campsites at Euroka. There are plenty of car parking spaces provided and it is a fairly popular starting point for people cycling the Oaks Cycleway.

Moderate track

Continue straight: From the Ironbark picnic area, this walk crosses the road to the car park (opposite the end of the management trail and gate). At the car park, the walk steps over the log and follows the track. The track soon leads to a ‘T’ intersection with Oaks cycleway.Turn right: From the intersection, the walk follows the wide track as it heads downhill to the north. After crossing the gully, the track then heads up the hill. On top of the small hill, the track comes to a intersection with a narrow track on the left (through the dense bush).

Experienced only

Turn left: From the intersection, this walk follows the narrow track west into the dense bush. The bush soon thins out and the track leads down the ridge line, passing over a few rocky outcrops. The track continues along the spur as it narrows, ending at the junction of two small creeks. From here, the walk continues a short distance downstream to an intersection with the red hands cave track, at the axe grinding site.

Axe Grinding Grooves

These well-defined axe grinding groves are found on the sandstone bed of Camp Fire Creek. The grooves were formed by Aboriginal people when sharpening axes (or forming axe blanks). Rubbing the axe blanks would sharpen the stone into a more useful tool, and the process would also wear the sandstone, leaving these markings. These sites are typically found near water, as the water was added to make the stone more abrasive. Sites like this will fade in time due to erosion of the sandstone – please help them last as long as possible by not walking on, or close to the grooves. More info.

(2.28km) Axe Grinding Grooves → Red Hands Cave

1.5 km

37 mins

128m

-40m

Moderate track

Veer right: From the grinding grooves at the creek junction, the walk heads across the side creek, keeping the larger creek on the left. The track immediately passes a sign with information about the grinding grooves, then continues above the creek. The track undulates above the creek and over a log bridge to tend right, down to a signposted intersection above a creek.Turn left: From the intersection, the walk follows the ‘Red Hands Cave’ sign down across the creek. The track leads over a small rise across another smaller creek, then follows the hillside for a short while, passing a bench seat and then a small log bridge. The track then starts tending left, heading up to a rocky outcrop where the walk arrives at the metal verandah of Red Hands Cave.

Red Hands Cave

Red Hands Cave, in the Glenbrook area of the Blue Mountains National Park, is found near the end of Red Hands Cave fire trail. The cave has quite a few hand stencils and prints of various colours (including red). The cave is well protected, with a perspex and steel cage. There are some information signs and some artifacts to help visitors learn more about the people who made these prints over 1600 years ago. In 1913, when searching for a lost child, this cave was found by Europeans and is now protected.

(3.76km) Red Hands Cave → Red Hands Cave car park

500 m

12 mins

41m

-10m

Moderate track

Continue straight: From Red Hands Cave, the walk heads up the stairs, winding to be above Red Hands Cave. The track then continues across the rocky surface, slowly climbing through the bush and leading away from the rock outcrop. The track winds through a few rocky outcrops, tending right, before coming to a car park and ‘Red Hands Cave’ sign (pointing back to the cave).

Red Hands Cave Picnic Area

Red Hands Cave Picnic Area is found at the end of the Red Hands Cave Fire Trail in the Glenbrook area of the Blue Mountains National Park. The small picnic area is next to the car park and has a couple of platforms (to act as both a table and seat) as well as a fire place and toilet. The toilet itself is wheelchair accessible, but access to the toilet is over moderately rough terrain. A good spot to rest when exploring Red Hands Cave.

Maps for the Euroka to Red Hands Cave walk

You can download the PDF for this walk to print a map.These maps below cover the walk and the wider area around the walk, they are worth carrying for safety reasons.

Analysis and summary of the altitude variation on the Euroka to Red Hands Cave

Overview of this walks grade – based on the AS 2156.1 – 2001

Under this standard, a walk is graded based on the most difficult section of the walk.

Length

4.3 km

Time

1 hr 45 mins

.

Grade 5/6

Experienced only

AS 2156.1

Gradient

Very steep (4/6)

Quality of track

Rough track, where fallen trees and other obstacles are likely (4/6)

Signs

No directional signs (5/6)

Experience Required

Moderate level of bushwalking experience recommended (4/6)

Weather

Storms may impact on navigation and safety (3/6)

Infrastructure

No facilities provided (5/6)

Some more details of this walks Grading

Here is a bit more details explaining grading looking at sections of the walk

Gradient

3.3km of this walk has short steep hills and another 710m is very steep. The remaining (260m) has gentle hills with occasional steps.

Quality of track

2km of this walk follows a formed track, with some branches and other obstacles and another 1.6km follows a clear and well formed track or trail. The remaining (710m) follows a rough track, where fallen trees and other obstacles are likely.

Signs

2km of this walk is clearly signposted and another 1.6km has directional signs at most intersection. The remaining (710m) Has no directional signs.

Experience Required

2.2km of this walk requires no previous bushwalking experience and another 1.3km requires some bushwalking experience. The remaining (710m) requires a leader a with moderate level of bushwalking experience.

weather

Around 3.6km of this walk is not usually affected by severe weather events (that would unexpectedly impact safety and navigation), whilst the remaining 710m is affected by storms that may impact your navigation and safety.

Infrastructure

1.9km of this walk has limited facilities (such as not all cliffs fenced) and another 1.7km is close to useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats). The remaining (710m) has no facilities provided.

Similar walks

A list of walks that share part of the track with the Euroka to Red Hands Cave walk.

Fire Danger

http://new.wildwalks.com/wildwalks_custom/includes/walk_fire_danger.php?walkid=nsw-bmnp-etrc
Each park may have its own fire ban, this rating is only valid for today and is based on information from the RFS Please check the RFS Website for more information.